U.S. patent application number 15/192031 was filed with the patent office on 2016-12-29 for control unit and actuator with control unit.
This patent application is currently assigned to AUMA Riester GmbH & Co. KG. The applicant listed for this patent is AUMA Riester GmbH & Co. KG. Invention is credited to Benjamin Hofmann, Wilfried Platzer.
Application Number | 20160377227 15/192031 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 57536827 |
Filed Date | 2016-12-29 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20160377227 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Platzer; Wilfried ; et
al. |
December 29, 2016 |
CONTROL UNIT AND ACTUATOR WITH CONTROL UNIT
Abstract
An electronic control unit (1) or an electric actuator (2),
respectively, have a switch-off device (4) which includes at least
one reed switch (6, 18, 26) and at least one permanent magnet
arranged outside the housing (3) and removable from the housing
(3). If the permanent magnet (7) is removed from its position of
usage at the housing (3), for example in order to perform
maintenance of the electronic control unit (1) or of the actuator
(2), respectively, the at least one reed switch (6, 18, 26) is
opened, as result of which the supply link (8, 10) between the
activating terminal (5) and the supply terminals (9, 11) of the
control unit are interrupted in order to switch voltage-carrying
functional elements of the control unit (1) and/or of the electric
actuator (2) to be currentless and thus to effectively prevent an
unwanted spark discharge.
Inventors: |
Platzer; Wilfried;
(Freiburg, DE) ; Hofmann; Benjamin; (Heitersheim,
DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AUMA Riester GmbH & Co. KG |
Mullheim |
|
DE |
|
|
Assignee: |
AUMA Riester GmbH & Co.
KG
Mullheim
DE
|
Family ID: |
57536827 |
Appl. No.: |
15/192031 |
Filed: |
June 24, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
307/328 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01H 36/00 20130101;
H02H 1/00 20130101; H01H 36/0066 20130101; H01H 2231/016 20130101;
H01H 36/006 20130101; H01H 36/0046 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F16P 3/20 20060101
F16P003/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 26, 2015 |
DE |
102015008276.0 |
Claims
1. An electronic control unit (1), comprising a housing (3), an
activating terminal (5), a switch-off device (4), the switch-off
device (4) comprises at least one reed switch (6, 18, 26) and at
least one permanent magnet (7) arranged outside the housing (3) and
removable from the housing (3), the at least one reed switch (6,
18, 26) is closed when the at least one permanent magnet (7) is
arranged at the housing (3), and the at least one reed switch (6,
18, 26) is opened by removing the at least one permanent magnet (7)
from the housing (3), wherein a supply link (8, 10) between the
activating terminal (5) and at least one supply terminal (9, 11,
17) is established when the reed switch (6, 18, 26) is closed and
is interrupted when the reed switch (6, 18, 26) is opened, so that
voltage-carrying functional elements arranged in the control unit
(1) are switched to be currentless by the removing of the at least
one permanent magnet (7).
2. The control unit (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising
at least one energy store (12) connected to the at least one supply
terminal (9, 11, 17) via the supply link (8, 10).
3. The control unit (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least
one energy store is a at least one current store, and the supply
link (8, 10) between the at least one energy store (12) and the at
least one supply terminal (9, 11, 17) is separated by the
switch-off device (4).
4. The control unit (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the energy
store (12) comprises at least one link capacitor (13).
5. The control unit (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
switch-off device (4) comprises at least one relay (14) which is
operable by opening the at least one reed switch (6, 18, 26) in
order to effect an interruption of the supply link (8, 10).
6. The control unit (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising
at least one of an accumulator (15), a battery, or a power system
terminal (16) provided or formed on the control unit (1).
7. The control unit (1) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least
one supply terminal (9, 11, 17) is connected detachably or
undetachably to the at least one of the accumulator (15), the
battery, or the power system terminal (16) .
8. The control unit (1) as claimed in claim 1, where further
comprising at least one of an accumulator (15) or a battery, and at
least one further reed switch (6, 18, 26) allocated to the at least
one of the accumulator (15) or the battery, said at least one
further reed switch (6, 18, 26) being arranged such that the reed
switch (6, 18, 26) and the at least one further reed switch (6, 18,
26) allocated to the at least one of the accumulator (15) or the
battery is operable by the at least one permanent magnet or a
further permanent magnet (7).
9. The control unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supply link
(8, 10) is designed to be branched with a first supply terminal (9)
and a second supply terminal (11, 17), in a first branch (35), a
power system terminal (16) is designed as the first supply terminal
(9) and the reed switch (6) is arranged with energy store (12)
following said reed switch (6) and, in a second branch (36), at
least one of an accumulator (15), a battery, or a generator (34) is
connected to the second supply terminal (11, 17) and a further one
of the reed switches (6) is arranged with a diode (37) preceding
said further one of the reed switches (6).
10. The control unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least
one permanent magnet (7) is a part of a latching or mounting device
(19) for mounting at least one housing part (20) at the housing
(3).
11. The control unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least
one permanent magnet (7) is arranged in a housing lid (21) of the
housing (3).
12. The control unit (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at
least one permanent magnet (7) is at least one of formed or
arranged in or on at least one mounting element (24), and said
mounting element (22) attaches a housing part (20) to an another
housing part (24).
13. The control unit (1) as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least
one of the housing (3) or the at least one mounting element (22)
accommodating the at least one permanent magnet (7) is formed of a
magnetically non-conductive material.
14. The control unit (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control
unit (1) has at least one of the following: at least two of the
reed switches (6, 18, 26) connected in series behind one another;
at least of the two reed switches (16, 18, 26) connected in
parallel with one another; a series circuit of the reed switches
(6, 18, 26) connected in parallel with one another; or a parallel
circuit of series-connected ones of the reed switches (6, 18,
26).
15. The control unit (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control
unit (1) is configured for at least one of detecting a switch
position of the at least one reed switch (6, 18, 26), switching a
motor (29) of a drive that is connectable to the control unit (1)
to be currentless, or discharging an energy store (12).
16. An electric actuator (2) comprising an electronic control unit
(1) as claimed in claim 1.
17. The electric actuator (2) as claimed in claim 16, further
comprising a motor (29) that is switched to be currentless by
removing the at least one permanent magnet (7) to a discharge a
link capacitor (13) of the control unit (1) triggered by removing
the at least one permanent magnet (7).
18. The electric actuator (2) as claimed in claim 16, wherein the
housing for the control unit (1) is a common housing (3) for the
actuator (2) and the control unit (1).
19. The electric actuator (2) as claimed in claim 18, wherein at
least one of the removable permanent magnets (7) and at least one
of the reed switches (6, 18, 26) are provided at a maintenance
opening of the housing (3) of the actuator (2).
Description
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
[0001] The following documents are incorporated herein by reference
as if fully set forth: German Patent Application No.
102015008276.0, filed Jun. 26, 2015.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The invention relates to an electronic control unit,
particularly for controlling an actuator, comprising a housing
accommodating the electronic control unit, and an activating
terminal.
[0003] Furthermore, the invention also relates to an electric
actuator comprising an electronic control unit, and comprising a
housing accommodating the electronic control unit.
[0004] Such control units and actuators with control units are
known in different embodiments and have been successful. In this
context, the actuator to be controlled can be connected or is
connected to the activating terminal.
[0005] In the case of a maintenance or repair of such a control
unit or of such an actuator or for other reasons, it may be
necessary to open the housing in which the control unit is
arranged. As a result, voltage-conducting parts can be exposed at
which a spark discharge can possibly occur. On the one hand, this
can represent a risk of injury for a person charged with the
maintenance and on the other hand, such spark discharges in
environments subject to explosion hazards can lead to
explosions.
[0006] From DE 10 2008 021 542 A1, a contact and access protection
for the high-voltage components of a hybrid vehicle is known. For
this purpose, a monitoring device is provided which is fed from the
low-voltage system of the vehicle. The monitoring device has
electronically controllable circuit breakers which connect the
electrical drive to a high-voltage battery. The high-voltage
components are monitored by a low-voltage circuit loop, the circuit
breakers being opened in the case of an interruption of the circuit
loop and the high-voltage thus being separated. The circuit loop is
separated, for example, when the engine hood is opened so that no
high-voltage is present in the engine space and there is no hazard
in the case of maintenance work.
[0007] In the case of this circuit, the monitoring device, however,
remains permanently supplied with current so that there is still a
certain hazard. It is particularly in the case of actuators which
are operated in environments subject to explosion hazards that a
low voltage can already be sufficient for generating an igniting
spark.
SUMMARY
[0008] It is thus the object of the invention, on the one hand, to
prevent a risk of injury for a person charged with maintenance or
repair of the control unit or of the actuator, respectively, and,
on the other hand, to avoid an explosion possibly caused by a spark
discharge.
[0009] In the case of the control unit initially defined, this
object is achieved by one or more features of the invention.
According to the invention, it is provided particularly for
achieving this object that the electronic control unit has a
switch-off device, that the switch-off device comprises at least
one reed switch and at least one permanent magnet arranged outside
the housing and removable from the housing, the at least one reed
switch being closed when the at least one permanent magnet is
arranged at the housing. The at least one reed switch can be opened
by removing the at least one permanent magnet from the housing. A
supply link between the activating terminal and a supply terminal
of the control unit is established when the reed switch is closed
and is interrupted when the reed switch is opened.
[0010] The supply terminal is then used for supplying the control
unit and/or consumers, appliances or devices which can be connected
to it, with power.
[0011] It is thus possible that by removing the permanent magnet
from the housing, voltage-conducting parts of the electronic
control unit can be separated from a power supply. In this manner,
a spark discharge can be effectively avoided at these
voltage-conducting parts of the control unit when before or on
opening the housing, that is to say when there is the risk that the
voltage-conducting parts of the control unit come into contact with
the environment subject to explosion, the at least one permanent
magnet is removed from the housing from its position provided
there.
[0012] In this arrangement, it is possible that the control unit
has at least one energy store connected via a supply link, for
example the supply link already mentioned before, to a supply
terminal, for example the supply terminal already mentioned before.
This energy store is, as a rule, a current store. Furthermore, it
can be provided that a supply link, for example the supply link
already mentioned before, between an energy store, especially the
at least one energy store already mentioned before and a supply
terminal, preferably the supply terminal already mentioned before,
can be separated with the aid of the switch-off device.
[0013] The control unit preferably has at least one link capacitor
as energy store. As a rule, a link capacitor is understood to be an
electric capacitor in a link circuit of invertors. Its task is the
coupling of the energy of a number of electrical power systems to
one another on a common voltage level.
[0014] When the supply link between this energy store and a supply
terminal, via which the energy store, particularly, therefore, the
link capacitor, is supplied with energy or with current,
respectively, can be separated with the aid of the switch-off
device, the energy store or the link capacitor, respectively, can
become discharged via this connected consumer as soon as the
switch-off device has effected a separation of the supply link. In
this manner, it can be avoided that a voltage is present at the
energy store, particularly at the link capacitor, of the control
unit which could lead to an unwanted spark discharge.
[0015] It may be appropriate if the switch-off device comprises at
least one relay which can be operated by opening the at least one
reed switch in order to effect an interruption of the supply
link(s).
[0016] An accumulator and/or a battery and/or a power system
terminal can be provided and/or formed on the control unit. Whereas
the power system terminal of a power supply of a consumer connected
to the control unit in operating position, particularly of an
actuator, can be provided in normal operation, an accumulator
and/or a battery can serve as emergency power supply of the
consumer connected to the control unit in operating position.
[0017] It may be appropriate in this context if a supply terminal,
for example the supply terminal already mentioned before, of the
control unit is connected detachably or undetachably to an
accumulator, for example the accumulator already mentioned before,
and/or to a battery, for example the battery mentioned before,
intended for the emergency power supply. Advantageously, the
accumulator and/or the battery can then be arranged in the housing
of the electronic control unit.
[0018] Appropriately, at least one reed switch can be allocated to
an accumulator, for example the accumulator already mentioned
before, and/or to a battery, particularly the battery already
mentioned before, of the control unit. Alternatively or
additionally, at least one reed switch can be allocated to a
generator, for example the generator already mentioned before. It
is of advantage in this context that the generator is reliably
deactivatable. Thus, it can be avoided that an unintentional
operation of the generator with the housing opened leads to an
unwanted discharge at exposed contacts. Preferably, this at least
one reed switch can be arranged in such a manner that the at least
one reed switch, already mentioned before, of the control unit and
the reed switch allocated to the accumulator and/or to the battery
can be operated by a permanent magnet. In this way it is possible
to ensure that, when a permanent magnet is removed from its
position of usage at the housing of the control unit, not only a
supply link between the activating connection and a supply terminal
is interrupted but also that a supply terminal to the accumulator
and/or to the battery can be interrupted. In this way, it is
possible to ensure that voltage-carrying elements of the control
unit and/or also of a consumer connected to the control unit in the
position of usage, particularly of an actuator, are switched to be
currentless and are therefore free of voltage.
[0019] In an advantageous embodiment, it may be provided that the
supply link is designed to be branched with a first supply terminal
and a second supply terminal. It is advantageous in this context
that a number of energy sources can be provided. In particular, it
can be provided in this context that in a first branch, a system
connection is designed as the supply terminal and a reed switch is
arranged. Thus, the invention enables a control unit to be
separated reliably from the system connection when the permanent
magnet is removed. In this context, the reed switch can be followed
by an energy store, particularly the energy store already
mentioned, for example a link capacitor. It is of advantage in this
context that charging up of the energy store can be interrupted on
removal of the permanent magnet. It is thus possible to achieve
that the energy store discharges until the housing is opened. It is
particularly advantageous here if the permanent magnet is part of a
latching and/or mounting device for mounting at least one housing
part on the housing. Additionally, it can be provided in this
context that in a second branch, an accumulator, for example the
accumulator already mentioned, and/or a battery, for example the
battery already mentioned, is connected to the second supply
terminal and a further reed switch is arranged. Thus, the
accumulator and/or the battery can be separated from the supply
terminal on removal of the permanent magnet. The switch-off device
thus has two reed switches which follow the respective supply
terminals in the manner described. In the second branch, it can be
provided that a diode precedes the further reed switch. Thus, a
current flow to the accumulator and/or to the battery can be
prevented. This is particularly advantageous when the second branch
is combined with the first branch behind the energy store already
mentioned. Because it is in this manner that it can be prevented
that the energy store discharges into the accumulator.
[0020] In an embodiment of the invention of particular
significance, it may be provided that the at least one permanent
magnet is part of a latching and/or mounting device for mounting at
least one housing part at the housing of the control unit. In
particular, it can be provided that the at least one permanent
magnet is arranged in a housing lid of the housing. In this way, it
can be ensured that the at least one permanent magnet is removed
during an opening of the housing and during a removal of the
housing part, particularly of the housing lid, and thus can no
longer affect the at least one reed switch. As soon as the at least
one permanent magnet is sufficiently far removed from the at least
one reed switch, that is to say the effect of the at least one
permanent magnet on the at least one reed switch is sufficiently
low, the at least one reed switch automatically opens as a result
of which the supply link(s) can be separated in the manner
described before.
[0021] As a rule, a housing lid is used for closing an access
opening into the interior of the housing.
[0022] Preferably, the at least one permanent magnet can then be
formed and/or arranged in or on at least one mounting element,
particularly a screw. With this mounting element, a housing part,
preferably a housing lid which closes an access opening in the
interior of the housing, can be attached to another housing part of
the control unit. In this way, it can be ensured that on detaching
the at least one mounting element, which may be necessary for
opening the housing and for performing maintenance work, the at
least one permanent magnet is necessarily removed from its position
of usage at the housing and voltage-conducting parts of the control
unit and/or of a consumer connected to the control unit,
particularly of an actuator, are switched to be currentless, as a
result of which an unwanted spark discharge can be effectively
avoided.
[0023] So that the effect of the at least one permanent magnet on
the at least one reed switch is not impaired when the at least one
permanent magnet is arranged in its position of usage at the
housing of the control unit, it may be appropriate if the housing
and/or the at least one mounting element accommodating the at least
one permanent magnet consists of a magnetically non-conductive
material. In this way, it can be avoided that the magnetic field
lines of the at least one permanent magnet extend in the material
of the housing or of the mounting element accommodating the at
least one permanent magnet and then do not reach the at least one
reed switch. A magnetically non-conductive material can be
characterized, for example, in that a presence of the material does
not or at least not significantly change a course of magnetic field
lines.
[0024] If the control unit has at least two reed switches connected
behind one another, a redundancy of the switch-off device can be
achieved. In this way, it can be ensured that the switch-off device
functions even if one of the two reed switches should be defective.
This is because, in the case of this circuit it is possible that in
any event, at least one of the reed switches opens when the
permanent magnet is removed from its position of usage at the
housing.
[0025] Alternatively or additionally, it can also be provided that
the control unit has at least two reed switches connected in
parallel with one another. In this way, it is possible to achieve
that at least one reed switch closes and thus reverses an
interruption of the supply link when a permanent magnet is brought
into its intended position of usage at the housing of the control
unit. An additional improvement of the switch-on or switch-off
reliability can be achieved if the control unit has a series
circuit of reed switches connected in parallel with one another
and/or a parallel circuit of reed switches connected in series.
[0026] In order to additionally increase the safety for an operator
in the maintenance of the control unit it can be provided that the
control unit is configured to detect a switch position of the at
least one reed switch of the control unit and/or switch a motor of
a drive connectable and/or connected with the control unit,
particularly an actuator, to be currentless.
[0027] Additionally or as an alternative, the control unit can also
be configured for discharging an energy store, for example the
energy store already mentioned before. In dependence on a detected
switch position of the at least one reed switch, the control unit
can deactivate the motor in this way by using corresponding
circuits and also actively discharge the energy store designed in
particular as link capacitor in order to prevent an unwanted spark
discharge and/or an operation of the motor to be avoided during a
repair or maintenance.
[0028] In the case of the electric actuator defined initially, an
electric actuator having the features of the independent patent
claim directed towards an actuator is proposed for achieving the
said object. In particular, the object mentioned initially is
achieved with such an electric actuator by the fact that the
electronic control unit is a control unit according to the
invention, particularly as described before and/or in accordance
with one of the claims directed to a control unit. In this way,
both an unwanted spark discharge and a possibly hazardous operation
of the motor during a maintenance of the electric actuator or of
the electronic control unit of this electric actuator can be
avoided. Such an electric actuator is thus suitable to a particular
degree also for use in environmental conditions subject to
explosion hazards.
[0029] Suitably, a motor of the actuator can be switchable to be
currentless by removing the at least one permanent magnet,
especially due to the fact that a discharging of a or the link
capacitor of the control unit can be triggered by removing the at
least one permanent magnet.
[0030] When using at least two reed switches, it can be provided
that the reed switch by means of which discharging of an energy
store can be triggered passes out of an effective range of the
permanent magnet first during the removal. This can be achieved by
a corresponding spatial arrangement. It is of advantage in this
context that sufficient time remains for discharging until the
complete removal of the permanent magnet.
[0031] In this context, the actuator and the control unit can
preferably be arranged in a common housing. In this way, it is
possible to ensure that in the case of an opening of the housing,
the at least one reed switch of the control unit is opened by
removal of the at least one permanent magnet from its position of
use at the housing as a result of which a supply link in the
interior of the housing can be interrupted for switching the
voltage-carrying elements of the actuator or of the control unit,
respectively, to be currentless.
[0032] It can also be particularly advantageous if a removable
permanent magnet and an associated reed switch of the switch-off
device are provided at a, preferably at each maintenance opening in
the housing of the actuator. In this manner, it is possible that
each maintenance opening of the actuator is protected with the
switch-off device according to the invention so that switching of
the voltage-carrying parts of the control unit and/or of the
actuator to be currentless is possible independently of which of
the possibly several maintenance openings of the housing is
utilized.
[0033] It should be pointed out that the control unit and/or the
actuator and/or a housing of the control unit and/or of the
actuator can be designed to be protected against explosions if this
is required by the environmental conditions in which the control
unit or the electric actuator, respectively, are to be used.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] In the text which follows, exemplary embodiments of the
invention are described in greater detail by means of the figures,
in which, in partially greatly diagrammatic representation:
[0035] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic overview of a control unit
according to the invention and of an actuator according to the
invention, connected to the control unit, wherein the switch-off
device engaging two different supply links can be recognized,
[0036] FIG. 2 shows a simplified circuit diagram of a first
switch-off device according to the invention comprising a reed
switch which is connected to a relay driver of a relay, which relay
is configured to interrupt a supply link of the control unit or of
the actuator, respectively,
[0037] FIG. 3 shows a simplified circuit diagram of a switch-off
device according to the invention comprising two series-connected
reed switches, both of which are connected to a relay driver of a
relay which is configured for interrupting a supply link of the
control unit or of the electric actuator, and
[0038] FIG. 4 shows a broken-out sectional view of a housing of a
control unit according to the invention, wherein a permanent magnet
arranged in a mounting element, designed as screw, of the housing,
two reed switches arranged in a magnetic field, illustrated by an
ellipse shown dashed, of the permanent magnet, of the switch-off
device can be recognized, wherein one of the two reed switches is
allocated to an accumulator used for an emergency power supply.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0039] FIGS. 1 and 4 show an electronic control unit, designated by
1 overall, which is connected to the actuator 2 for controlling an
actuator 2. The electronic control unit 1 is arranged in a housing
3 which is shown in section in FIG. 4.
[0040] The electronic control unit 1 has a switch-off device 4 for
an activating terminal 5 of the control unit 1. The switch-off
device 4 comprises at least one reed switch 6 and at least one
permanent magnet 7 arranged outside the housing 3 and removable
from the housing 3.
[0041] The at least one reed switch 6 is closed when the one
permanent magnet 7 is arranged at the housing 3 (compare FIG. 4).
The reed switch 6 can be opened by removing the permanent magnet 7
from its position of usage at the housing. This is carried out in
that the magnetic field illustrated by the ellipse E shown in
dashed line in FIG. 4 is removed by removing the permanent magnet 7
from the reed switch 6 so that no sufficiently large magnetic
effect can be induced in the latter any longer in order to keep the
reed switch 6 closed.
[0042] A supply link 8 between the activating terminal 5 and a
supply terminal 9 of the control unit 1 which is used for the main
supply of the actuator 2 is established or activated with the reed
switch 6 closed. This supply link 8 can be interrupted by an
opening of the reed switch 6. Thus, the voltage-carrying functional
elements arranged in the control unit 1 can be switched to be
currentless by removing the permanent magnet 7 in order to avoid a
spark discharge which must be absolutely avoided when opening the
housing 3 in an environment subject to explosion hazards.
[0043] The control unit 1 also has an energy store 12, connected to
the supply terminal 9 via the supply links 8, which is designed as
current store. As described, the supply links 8 between energy
store 12 and the supply terminal 9 can be separated with the aid of
the switch-off device 4.
[0044] The energy store 12 shown greatly diagrammatically in FIG. 1
is designed as link capacitor 13.
[0045] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the switch-off device 4 comprises
a relay 14 which can be operated by opening the reed switch 6 in
order to effect an interruption of the supply links 8, 10 also
shown only highly diagrammatically in FIGS. 2 and 3. The reed
switch 6 is connected to a relay driver 27 which processes the
setting signal of the reed switch 6 and forwards it to the relay
14.
[0046] According to FIGS. 1 and 4, an accumulator 15 or a battery
15, respectively, and a line terminal 16 is provided or formed at
the control unit 1. Via the line terminal 16, the supply terminal 9
of the control unit 1 can be supplied with current which is
necessary for operating the actuator 2.
[0047] A second supply terminal 11 of the control unit is connected
to the accumulator 15. Depending on the exemplary embodiment of the
control unit 1, this link between the supply terminal 11 and the
accumulator or the battery, respectively, 15 can be designed to be
detachable or also undetachable.
[0048] Also for an emergency power supply, a, particularly
hand-operated, generator 34 is provided which is also connected to
the supply link 10 via a supply terminal 17 of the control unit 1
and can thus deliver current to the activating terminal 5 when
required.
[0049] Overall, the supply link 8, 10 is thus designed to be
branched with a first branch 35 and a second branch 36 which are
brought together in a Y shape at the supply terminal 5.
[0050] In the first branch 35, the line terminal 16 is formed at
the supply terminal 9, via which the control unit 1 can be
connected or is connected to a supply system. The first supply
terminal 9 is followed by the aforementioned reed switch 6 which is
followed by an energy store 12.
[0051] In the second branch 36 which, in turn, is designed itself
to be branched with second supply terminals 11, 17, diodes 37 in
each case follow the second supply terminals 11, 17. These diodes
37 are followed by the further reed switch 18 by means of which the
generator 34 and the accumulator 15 (or a battery) can be separated
from the supply link 8, 10.
[0052] FIGS. 1 and 4 also show that a reed switch 18 is also
allocated to the accumulator 15 of the control unit 1.
[0053] This reed switch 18 allocated to the accumulator 15 is
arranged in such a manner that the reed switch 6 of the control
unit 1 and the reed switch 18 allocated to the accumulator 15 or
the battery 15, respectively, can be operated by one and the same
permanent magnets 7.
[0054] This becomes particularly clear by the representation
according to FIG. 4 in which the magnetic field emanating from the
permanent magnet 7 is illustrated by means of the ellipse E shown
dashed. On consideration of FIG. 4 it can be seen that both reed
switches 6 and 18, with the permanent magnet 7 arranged in the
position of usage, are located at least partially within the
ellipse E and thus within the effective range of the permanent
magnet 7.
[0055] If then the permanent magnet 7 is removed from its position
of usage at the housing 3, first the reed switch 6 of the control
unit 1 and then the reed switch 18 allocated to the accumulator 15
or the battery 15 pass out of the effective range of the permanent
magnet 7, as a result of which first the reed switch 6 and then the
reed switch 18 are opened in order to interrupt the respective
supply links 8 and 10, respectively, and in this way to separate
the voltage-carrying functional elements of the control unit 1 and
of an actuator 2 connected to the control unit 1 from the power
supply. Since the reed switch 6 triggers a discharge of the link
capacitor 13, sufficient time remains for discharging due to the
spatial arrangement of the reed switch 6 with respect to the magnet
7 until the mounting element 22 described below can be removed. In
general, an order of the actuation on removal of the magnet 7 can
thus be defined by the spatial arrangement of reed switches 6, 18,
26. Thus, especially sensitive operating areas can easily be
switched off first and less sensitive operating areas
thereafter.
[0056] It should be pointed out here that in the exemplary
embodiment shown in the figures, the generator 34 which is
connected to the supply link 10 via the supply terminal 17 can also
be decoupled from the control unit 1 with the aid of the reed
switch 18.
[0057] In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a further
one or several reed switches can also be provided which are
allocated exclusively to the generator 34 and/or a supply link of
the generator 34 and with a removal of one or the permanent magnet
7 provide for an interruption of the supply link(s) to the
generator 34.
[0058] FIG. 4 also shows that the permanent magnet 7 is a part of a
latching and/or mounting device 19 for mounting at least one
housing part 20 at the housing 3. The permanent magnet 7 is
arranged in a housing lid 21 of the housing 3 in its position of
usage.
[0059] The permanent magnet 7 is positioned in a mounting element
22 which, in the present case, is designed as screw 23. By this
mounting element 22, the housing part 20, that is to say the
housing lid 21 in the present case, is attached to the other
housing part, namely a basic body 24 of the housing 3.
[0060] In this arrangement, the permanent magnet 7 is arranged in a
blind hole 25 provided in the screw 23 and can there be bonded or
crimped with the screw 23, for example, in order to prevent the
permanent magnet 7 from falling out of the blind hole 25.
[0061] So that the two reed switches 6 and 18 are not shielded from
the magnetic field of the permanent magnet 7, the housing 3 and the
mounting element 22 accommodating the permanent magnet 7 consist of
a magnetically non-conductive material.
[0062] According to the exemplary embodiment of the control unit 1,
shown in FIG. 3, the former has two series-connected reed switches
6 and 26. Both reed switches 6 and 26 are connected to a relay
driver 27 which effects switching of the relay 14 in dependence on
the switch position of the two reed switches 6 and 26. If one of
the two reed switches 6 and 26 is open, the relay 14 is also moved
into an open position with the aid of the relay driver 27 and the
supply link 8 and 10, respectively, are interrupted.
[0063] In the case of other exemplary embodiments, not shown in the
figures, however, it can also be provided that the control unit 1
has at least two reed switches connected in parallel with one
another. Furthermore, it is possible that at the control unit 1, a
series circuit of reed switches connected in parallel with one
another and/or a parallel circuit of series-connected reed switches
is exhibited.
[0064] The control unit 1 is configured to detect a switch position
of the reed switches 6, 18 and 26 of the control unit 1. Depending
on the switch position of the reed switches 6, 18, 26, the control
unit 1 can switch, by a circuit provided on a processor board 28, a
motor 29 of the actuator 2 connected to the control unit 1 in its
position of usage, to be currentless and/or brake it and stop
it.
[0065] Furthermore, it is possible to discharge the energy store
12, designed as link capacitor 13, selectively by the circuit
present on the processor board 28 in dependence on the detected
switch position of the reed switches 6, 18, 26.
[0066] The processor board 28 and other electronic elements of the
control unit 1 can be supplied with current via the system part
30.
[0067] In principle, it is conceivable also to switch the system
part 30 to be currentless with the aid of the switch-off device 4,
preferably with a time delay.
[0068] The electric actuator 2 and the control unit 1 are arranged
in the same housing 3. The actuator 2 is here connected to the
activating terminal 5 of the electronic control unit 1.
[0069] As already stated before, the motor 29 of the actuator 2 can
be switched to be currentless by removing the permanent magnet 1.
This can be achieved, for example, in that the link capacitor 13
already mentioned before, of the control unit 1 can be discharged
by removing the permanent magnet 7.
[0070] Following the motor 29, a power transmission 32 and a power
take-off 33 are provided, for example.
[0071] It should be pointed out that in a preferred exemplary
embodiment of the electric actuator 2, at least one removable
permanent magnet 7 and a reed switch allocated to it, of the
switch-off device 4 are provided at each maintenance opening of the
housing 3 of the actuator 2 in order to ensure that in the case of
an opening of the maintenance openings, the functional elements of
the control unit 1 or of the actuator 2, respectively, are switched
to be currentless.
[0072] The permanent magnet 7 shown in FIG. 4 is designed as rod
magnet, the north pole of which is identified by the letter N and
the south pole of which is identified by the letter S.
[0073] The electronic control unit 1 and the electric actuator 2,
respectively, have the switch-off device 4 which comprises at least
one reed switch 6, 18, 26 and at least one permanent magnet
arranged outside the housing 3 and removable from the housing 3. If
the permanent magnet 7 is removed from its position of usage at the
housing 3, for example in order to perform maintenance of the
electronic control unit 1 or of the actuator 2, respectively, the
at least one reed switch 6, 18, 26 is opened, as a result of which
the supply link 8, 10 between the activating terminal 5 and the
supply terminals 9, 11, 17 of the control unit are interrupted in
order to switch voltage-carrying functional elements of the control
unit 1 and/or of the electric actuator 2 to be currentless and thus
to effectively prevent an unwanted spark discharge.
* * * * *